Leveling mechanism for gas holders and similar apparatus



Jan. 9, 1945; J. wls'sms 2,366,821

LEVELING'MECHANISM FOR GAS HOLDERS AND SIMILAR APPARATUS Filed June 19,1943 4 "2 sheds-s eet 1 INVENTOR;

A TTORNEY Jan. 9, 1945. J wissms 2,366,821

LEVELING MECHANISM FOR GAS HOLDERS AND SIMILAR APPARATUS Filed June 19,1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F|G.3. 1 FIGS.

INVENTOR:

(JOHN H. W GGINS BY A TTORNE Y Patented Jan. 9

1 T PATENT I E y ,9 7

fztseaszr p p BEVELING MEoriaNIsMnoltoasnomnitsi I p p p AIfPARATUSillblin Hi wiggins, Ghicagogyllli; Man ma ;1943;;sa .:Nt;.49-1,m:flaiinq(0118 476X it This invention relates to apparatusot the kindthatcomprise-a stationary" tank' -or c'on tainer, and-averticallyemovablei part" that comstitutes the-topwwall orroo'fof agaschamber my invention: being. applicable ito gas holders",

of the typethat-are. provide'd with a vertica llywmovable bell, and gasand/ or liquid-storageztanks of the typethat are provided' with a lifterroof orvertically-movable top part that is? adapted to rise and fall,-and ,thus warm the internal: vol

ume ofthe-gas-spaceof-the apparatusi ,j l

One object of my-presen t invention is: to; pro- 1' vide an improvedleveling;mechanism,.-or bal ancing mechanism for, l the:vertically-movable partof an apparatus of the gene-ralktyp'emen-'tioned; t which; in additiOl'l-vtflmaintaining said; vertically-movablepart in a level position, with out danger of wobbling or incipienttipping isi of simple design andeasytoybuild and install: a

Another object is to provide a leveling-:;orcbal;--

.10 n .n sign or construction, that it. prevents inc1p1ent ancingmechanism for structuresof the' pkind referred to,;whosecoactingl parts:are" arranged on the exterior of the apparatus, at ap-oint below thebell, roof,v or other, vertically-movable part controlled by said,mechanism; and

Still another object of my invention is tode-- crease thenumber ofpartsrequiredfor'attaining .proper balanceof a-gas holder-bell or lifterroof of relatively great diameter.-

Figure 1 of the drawings is aside elevational: view, illustrating. myinvention embodied in a storage tank provided with -aalifter typeroof.

Figure 2 islatop planview of" the apparatus. Figure 3" is afragmentary.view-,- showing, in" front elevation, the sheave, pulley, or wheel, overwhich travel all-of the flexible members on which the weight or othertension means exerts a designates the stationary tank or container ofthe apparatus, B designates the vertically-movness of, same, and levelposition.

able part or lifter roof, B designates a gas tight sealing deviceattached to the side wall of the tank and to a depending side wallportion of the roof, C, C and C designate flexible members, such ascables or chains, attached to said part B and arranged so as to maintainsaid part in a level position, and D designates a weight,

spring or other means that exerts a load or pull on the flexible membersC, C and C and normally holds l them) tension. In; apparatus Qofj thekind towhichmy: invention is. particularly.

applicable the bell, lifter. roo-flgor other vertifl cally-movablepartlB,,projects upwardly, above. the top, edgeof the tankA, withitheresult that! it 'is constantly subjected. to a wind pressures, whichexert oscillatory forces on same. Accordiingly, in, 01121812110 preventsaid vertically+mov ableipart from wobbling itfis necessary that theleveling, or balancing, mechanism be, of such, de-

ti'pping, of said verticallye'movable part, and, gives a, dampening,effect to w any, synchronous; loading I attain this highly, desirableresult by arranging and combiningthe flexible members C, C', C and theweight orrtension means D,=so,.that when the verti(tally-movable partBis level, all oflsaid flexible members are of equal ,tension and the;load or force of" the means D' is applied. evenly to all"ofisaid'flexible members, and iff thel part B starts w tiltor up, thus causingone of the flexible members to become slack, the loadflor force, of themeans D is. instantly removed from said slackenedflexible member andapplied to, theother flexible membersito increase, the tightthus restorethe part ,B to its.

In the form, of my inventionherein illustrated; theVerticallx-movablepart B is provided at its peripheraledge with threeequally. spaced, de-

pendin legs, E, E and E that have oifsetsfl: atvtheir. lower ends, towhich. are atta'clredithe flexible members C,.LC andiC respectively.The,

flexible-member Cl leads upwardly from the, on,-

setat the lowertend of the leg,E,. over a verticallyedisposed. sheavepulley or wheel I, carried by a bracket or other suitable supportingstructure on the side wall of the tank A, and after traveling over saidsheave, leads downwardly from same to the means D which is hereinillus-; trated as a weight that is securely fastened to the end of theflexible member C. The flexible member C leads upwardly from the offsetat the lower, end of the leg E to a vertically-disposed guide pulley 2,carried by the side wall 01' the tank, and after passing over said guidepulley,

thelmember C extends in a horizontal direction around the tank, overhorizontally-disposed guide pulleys 2?- and 2 to the sheave I, overwhich it passes along side of or parallel to the flexible member C.Instead of being attached to the weight D, the flexible member C isattached to the flexible member C at a point between the 1 weight D andthe single sheave I, over which said two flexible members 0 and C travelside by'side.

It will, of course, be understood that the horizontally-disposed guidepulleys 2 and 2 are carried by brackets or other suitable supportingdevices on the side wall of the tank A. The third flexible member Cwhich is located at the opposite side of the tank, as shown in Figure 2,leads upwardly from the lower end of the depending leg E on the part B,to a vertically-disposed guide pulley 2, on the tank side wall, andthence, extends in a horizontal direction around the tank over guidepulleys 2 and 2 to the sheave I, over which said flexible member Cpasses along side of the flexible member C, to which it is fastened atthe point where the flexible member C is joined to the member C. It willthus be seen that in my improved leveling or balancing mechanism, onlythree flexible members and a single weight are employed to maintain theverticallymovable part B of the apparatus in a perfectly level position.The three flexible members travel side by side over a single sheave I,and are tied together'as one at said sheave, by the friction of saidflexible members on said sheave. They are also fastened to the weight D,or are joined together, at a point beyond the sheave I. Instead offorming the flexible members C, C and C from cables, as herein shown,said members could be formed from chains, and the sheave I could beprovided with three cogs, or, three sets of sprocket teeth for receivingsaid chains. I have found, however, that cables are perfectlysatisfactory, as their frictional contact or engagement with the sheavel is great enough to cause the load of the weight D toloe equallydistributed to the three flexible members when the roof B is floatinglevel without foreign loads, and the instant said roof starts totilt ortip, the resulting slackening off of one flexible member, causes thefull load of the Weight to be exerted on the other two flexible membersin a direction to bring the roof back to its level position.

\ While I prefer to lead the flexible members C, C and C upwardly fromdepending legs on the vertically-movable part of the apparatus, andthence, in a horizontal direction around the tank to a point where saidflexible members converge in advance of their point of connectionwith-the weightD, this is not absolutely essential, as my inventioncontemplates various other ways of attaching said flexible members tothe vertically-movable part of the apparatus, and various other ways ofdisposing and guiding said flexible members. The essential thing is,that the flexible members, in conjunction with the means D, exert a pullon the vertically-movable part of the apparatus, in a verticaldirection, and so long as this result is attained, the particulararrangement, location, or direction of travel of the flexible members isimmaterial.

The main advantage of my improved mechanism, of course, is that iteflectively holds a gas bell or lifter roof perfectly level, and presaidmechanism are located below the top of the bell, lifter roof, or otherpart controlled by said mechanism. The above described characteristics,coupled with the fact that the mechanism is inexpensive to build, easyto install and comprises only a relatively few parts, makes saidmechanism a decided improvement over the leveling mechanisms heretoforeused for balancing gas bells and lifter roofs of large diameter. While Ihave herein described and illustrated my invention in connection with agas bell or lifter roof, I wish it to be understood that my invention isapplicable to various other kinds of apparatus or structures thatcomprise a vertically-movable part of relatively great diameter, whichit is necessary or desirable to maintain in a horizontal plane whilesaid part rises and falls.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: l

A storage tank provided with a lifter type roof, depending portions onsaid roof, flexible members leading upwardly from the lower ends of saiddepending portions, sheaves for said flexible members located onthe tankside wall above the highest point of, upward travel of the I JOHN H;WIGGINS.

